Cons: way too many to list - but incompetent managers is a good place to start.

If you are willing to forsake poor advancement options for a slowly eroding benefits package, can live with incompetent managers and supervisors, have a desire to see any hard work you do either claimed by someone else or be disregarded - the the Misery of No Results (MNR) is the place for you. Anyone with any ambition, brains or know-how has either left or are just hanging on to max out their pensions.

Working in forest fires in Ontario is exhilarating. It really builds in you a strong understanding of teamwork, leadership and initiative. It makes you feel like you are contributing to something greater than yourself. The experience of the outdoors, going to places in the wilderness where few if any other humans go, is unforgettable. Leadership qualities you gain as a leader in charge of three other crew members will always stick with you. Good pay and benefits really makes this one of the best summer contract jobs out there.

I enjoyed this program very much as it was the best summer experience I have had so far.Every day was easy to get up and go out to work with the guys, especially knowing we had a nice motivating breakfast to wake up to, and an amazing well deserved supper to return to the camp to after a long day of work.The ranger supervisor's were practically one of us younger rangers right off the beginning of the program and were very clear and communicative of the tasks being given.I learned very much about the wilderness, the parks, and what it takes to maintain them as Ministry of Natural Resource park ranger.The most enjoyable part was canoeing/portaging and camping for days at a time. Knowing we were out there to assist the public in encouragement towards attracting more portage enthusiasts to the areas which were over grown by weeds.

To provide accurate information and assistance to park visitors, explaining and promoting park rules and regulations, enforcing the PPCRA, CCC, HTA, LLA, TPA, MSVA, ORVA, ESA within the park boundaries with the same power as a member of the Ontario Provincial Police, Arrest, Search, Detain, Transport, lay charges, issue Provincial Offence Notices Part 1, 2 and 3, issue warnings within the park boundaries, Keep record of all patrols and information, obtaining information and preparing occurrence reports or case histories, preparing crown briefs, appearing in court, laying charges and issuing provincial offence notices, arrest and rights procedures and inputting daily patrol reports into a centralized computer system, complete patrols on a regular basis, work with OPP and Conservation Officers in the line of duty, maintain a safe and secure environment for all visitors of the park. Complete various maintenance programs, Coordinate Search and Rescues for missing campers. Complete inspections of interior sites by way of 16 foot steel mink boat. Update various manuals and MSDS sheets.

I loved working for the MNR, I have worked for them for the past 2 years and I have gained so much experience. Working for the MNR has given me great outdoor experience and I've learned to step out of my comfort zone working with power tools, going away for the summer, meeting new people, and traveling to places I never thought I'd ever go.

A typical day at work consists of hard work, sweat, and determination but also very enjoyable. The hardest part of the job for me was having to wake up early, but on the bright side we only had 7 hour work days. The most enjoyable part of the job is meeting new people because you develope new friendships that'll last forever; and you get the chance to work with people who have the same interests as you do. Overall, working for the MNR was my favorite job and I hope to work for them again in the future.

I enjoyed working with the cooks and the team, we ran a very tight ship so we didnt really have much we couldnt handle. It was a loss when it was closed. We were all assigned a task for the day be it dishes, cook, prep, or dining room prep and clean. The guests were sometimes a challenge, however we always made sure they were happy. I enjoyed being part of a very happy productive team.

Cons: i am not bilingual, makes it hard to get a permanent position with them since they are a government institution.

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement with the Ministry of Natural Resources, two weeks went far too fast. Met a lot of great people and felt like one big family being there. I would love to establish full time employment with them only thing holding me back was I am not bilingual :(.

A typical day at work involved doing anything from off-loading firefighting equipment from incoming tractor-trailers to testing the firefighting equipment such as charging hoses on pumps to look for leaks, and defects to repairing the same defects. It was hands-down one of the best jobs I have ever had, and one of the best employers anyone could work for. The work was extremely challenging, dirty, and long; but it was also a lot of fun. The people I worked with, including bosses were always nice, approachable, professional, and ready to pitch in when required. I learned so many things in this job, time management, camaraderie, how to repair complex pieces of equipment, how to operate complex pieces of equipment, commitment to a challenging work environment.

Aboriginal Youth Work Exchange Program (Former Employee), Chapleau, ON – May 28, 2013

I was part of a three year summer student program and was one of the first to fulfill the three years of my contract. I really enjoyed working with the Ministry and shadowing some of the employees in different sectors. Two of my favorite outings were going out for the day with one of the conservation officers, and going up in the helicopter for the day with fish & wildlife technicians.

I personally loved this job, and perfectly tied in with what I'll be pursuing in university -- environmental sciences. You're outside about half the time, usually in the form of presenting the natural world to campers and tourists, whether it be kid's programs, family-oriented evening programs or hikes. You may also be inside the Visitor's Centre working with people in much smaller groups, or researching your next program.

It is always a great fun when you do a job and you have sufficient expertise in hand. When i joined Ministry of Petroleum,some operations were already in progress. I studied all program of one operation and headed to the field for inspection.Once I used to be inspected by ERCB,well site supervisors and other regulatory bodies and now I was inspecting the crew members tool push and well site supervisor. Being aware of the stress and nature of the job I talked to the crew in the same oil and gas dialect which was a pleasant surprise for them.They cooperated with me in all aspects of technical specification, rig inspection and HSE regulations and I came back to my office in a happy mood